by Jin Yong
Linghu Chong had a high level of comprehension, but each sentence of this refined inner energy technique took him a long time to understand. It was good that Great Master Fangzheng was there to explain it to him in detail that he was able to take a peek into the marvellous realm of martial art study that he had never experienced before. He let out a long sigh and said, "Great Master Fangzheng, Junior has been fearlessly going around Jianghu for the last few years, it was because I didn't know how shallow my knowledge is. I'm really ashamed when thinking about it. Junior doesn't have much longer to live and unable to practise the wonderful inner energy technique passed down by Grand Martial Uncle Feng. But people in the old days had a saying, it's something like hear the right way in the morning, then dying at night won't be too serious. Is that saying right?"
"If a man in the morning hears the right way, he may die in the evening without regret!" Fangzheng corrected him.
"That's right, that's the saying," Linghu Chong said. "I once heard master said it. Hearing Great Master's advice today, it's really like a blind man being able to see. Even if I don't have any more time to practise it, I'm already happy."
"Our orthodox schools have all assembled near Mount Heng-Shan, and they're protecting all the important places," Fangzheng said. "When the Devil Sect comes to attack, we'll all work together and we won't lose. Headmaster Linghu, why are you being so pessimistic? This inner energy technique requires a few years to finish practising it, but if you practise it for a day then you'll get one day's benefit, and if you practise it for a little bit then you'll get a little bit's benefit. These next few days, there's no harm for Headmaster Linghu to start learning it. Take advantage of me disturbing your honourable mountain and we can also study it together."
"Junior appreciates Great Master's kindness."
"Brother Chongxu should be arriving any moment now. Should we go out and take a look?"
Linghu Chong quickly stood up and said, "I've neglected Priest Chongxu and the others."
He returned to the outside hall with Great Master Fangzheng, the hall was already lighted with candles. When the two of them were discussing martial art, more than six hours had passed and the sky had turned dark a long time ago. They saw three Taoist sitting on putuans talking with Great Master Fangsheng. One of these people was Priest Chongxu. When the three Taoist saw Fangzheng and Linghu Chong came out, they stood up together.
Linghu Chong paid his respects and said, "Heng-Shan is in trouble and we've received priests' help. Everyone from my humble school really doesn't know how to repay this."
Priest Chongxu quickly helped him up and smilingly replied, "I arrived here some time ago. I learned that Great Master Abbott and little brother are inside studying inner energy technique so I didn't dare to disturb you. Little brother has learned a wonderful inner energy technique, once you've learned how to use it then when Ren Woxing comes here, you can try it out on him and teach him a lesson."
"This inner energy technique is very refined," Linghu Chong said. "How can Junior learn it in just a few days? I heard the seniors from Emei, Kunlun, and Kongtong Schools have all arrived. I should invite them up and discuss our plan. What do seniors think of this?"
Chongxu replied, "They're hiding in secret to guard against that demon Ren from finding out. If you ask everyone to come up the mountain, then I'm afraid the information will be leaked out. When we came up the mountain, we also disguised ourselves. Otherwise, why didn't the disciples of my humble school announce us first?"
The moment when he first met Priest Chongxu appeared in Linghu Chong's mind. At that time, Priest Chongxu disguised himself as an old man riding a donkey, and there were two other men following him. They were all actually masters from Wudang School. Right now, as he observed the other priests, he recognised them to be the other two elders who competed sword with him on the Hubei road.
Linghu Chong bowed and smilingly said, "Priests, your face changing technique is very good. If Priest Chongxu didn't mention it, Junior wouldn't have figured it out."
Those two priests disguised themselves as farmers at that time, one was carrying firewood and the other carrying vegetables. Both were gasping for breath, seemed like they were sick. At this time, they looked very healthy and only their eyes could be recognised. Priest Chongxu pointed to the elder who carried the firewood, "This is martial brother Qingxu." Then he pointed to the elder who carried the vegetable, "This is my martial nephew, his Taoist name is Chenggao." The four of them smiled at each other.
Qingxu and Chenggao both said, "Headmaster Linghu's sword art is very high."
Linghu Chong replied, modestly, "I apologize for the offence!"
"My martial brother's and martial nephew's sword art aren't very refined, but when they were young, they lived for more than ten years in the western region and learned one special skill," Chongxu said. "One is an expert in hidden traps and the other is an expert in bombs."
"Those skills are very rare," Linghu Chong commented.
"Brother Linghu," Chongxu said. "I brought them here because I have another purpose. I'm hoping they can help us in doing one big thing."
Linghu Chong didn't understand and blurted out, "To do one big thing?"
"I took the liberty to take one thing to your honourable mountain," Chongxu answered. "Brother Linghu, please take a look." He had a free and easy personality so he wasn't as restrained as Fangzheng. That was why one called him 'Brother Linghu', and the other called him 'Headmaster Linghu'. Linghu Chong felt it was quite odd and wanted to see what he took out from his bosom. Chongxu smiled and said, "This item is actually not small, it doesn't fit in my bosom. Martial brother Qingxu, ask them to come in."
Qingxu acknowledged the order and went out. Not long after, he led four farmer-looking men to come in. Each person was barefooted and each was carrying vegetables.
Qingxu said, "This is Headmaster Linghu and Shaolin Temple's Abbott." The four people bowed to give their respects.
Linghu Chong knew they must have high positions in Wudang. He quickly returned their propriety.
"Take it out and install it!" Qingxu ordered.
The four men took some wrapped bundles from inside the vegetables they were carrying. They opened the bundles revealing many wooden strips, ironware, nails, and springs. These four people worked really fast and they put those items together. A short time later, they finished making a grand chair. Linghu Chong was even more perplexed, pondering, "This grand chair has so many springs. I wonder what it's used for? Could it be for practising internal energy?"
After installing the chair, the four men took out two more wrapped bundles. These bundles contained the chair cushion and the chair cover which they put on the grand chair. Inside the quiet hall, glitters from the yellow brocade of the chair cover suddenly dazzled their eyes. Nine golden dragons had been embroidered into the brocade with the sun in the middle rising from the ocean. On the left, writings of 'Glory to Sacred Chief, To the Benefit of Common People' were seen. On the right was the writing 'Long Live the Chief, Unify the Jianghu'. Those nine dragons had their claws brandished and teeth snarling, looking very much alive. The caligraphy on the writings was strong and very pleasing to the eyes. Chains of pearls, diamonds, and all sorts of other precious stones surrounded the letters. This humble and plain hall was covered by the lights from the jewels.
Linghu Chong clapped to cheer as he thought of Chongxu saying that Qingxu was once in the western region learning to make hidden traps. He said, "When Chief Ren sees this precious chair, he'll definitely sit in it. Then the traps in the chair will be sprung and take his life. Am I right?"
Chongxu whispered back, "Ren Woxing can respond really fast and his movement is like lightning. Even if the chair has a trap, he'll feel something's not right and jump up immediately. We won't be able to injure him then. This bottom of this chair has been installed with a fuse and a pack of explosives."
Once he said this, the faces of Linghu Chong and all the monks from Shaolin changed colour. Fangz
heng prayed, "Amituofo!"
"The benefit of this trap is that anyone can sit on it without anything happening," Chongxu explained. "You need to sit for a while before the fuse is triggered. That Ren Woxing is a sceptical person and he's also very careful. When he sees this kind of chair on the Xianxing Peak, he definitely won't sit in it straight away and will get one of his subordinate to sit on it first. The covering on this chair has those gold dragons around the sun, there's also those 'Long Live the Chief, Unify the Jianghu' words, so anyone from the Devil Sect won't sit on it for too long. But once Ren Woxing sit on it, he won't give it up."
"Priest has considered this very thoroughly," Linghu Chong commented.
"Martial brother Qingxu has also prepared something else," Chongxu said. "If Ren Woxing doesn't sit and told people to take the cover and cushion off, and even tear the chair apart to have a look then the fuse will still be triggered. Martial nephew Chenggao has brought twenty thousands catties of explosives to this precious mountain. It seems we won't be able to avoid ruining the scenery on this precious mountain."
Linghu Chong felt dread in his heart, he thought, "Twenty thousands catties of explosives! So much gunpowder exploding, even jade will burn. If Chief Ren is blown up, Yingying and Brother Xiang will be too."
Chongxu saw his face looked unusual. "The Devil Sect is saying they want to kill your honourable school. Once they've annihilated Heng-Shan School, they'll attack Shaolin and Wudang. We'll be ashes and this big disaster will be hard to fix. We've setup this treacherous plan to repay Ren Woxing. Although it's very dangerous, we'll get to do away with this head demon and get to save tens of thousands of lives in Wulin."
Great Master Fangzheng joined both his palms together. "Amituofo! Our merciful Buddha must also defeat demons and slay devils to save our lives. Killing a man to save thousands of lives is path of compassion and sorrow." When he said these words, he looked stately. All the monks and taoists there stood up and joined their palms together while lowering their heads. They said in unison, "Great Master Fangzheng is right."
Linghu Chong also knew what Fangzheng said was very reasonable. Sun Moon Sect wanted to annihilate the Heng-Shan School that even dogs and birds wouldn't be spared, while the schools from the orthodox path had planned to fry Ren Woxing to death. This was a matter of justice and righteousness and no one could say that it wasn't, but his heart was quite unwilling to kill Ren Woxing. As to killing Xiang Wentian, he would rather die first; As to the life and death of Yingying, he wasn't worried. He had always regarded their lives intertwined together and they will both die and live together so there was nothing to worry about. He saw all of them were looking at him. He hummed for a little while and said, "Since things have come to this, Sun Moon Sect has forced us with no other option. I think Priest Chongxu's strategy will hurt the least people."
"Brother Linghu said it right," Chongxu praised. "'It hurts the least people, it's exactly what I was looking for."
"Junior is young and my knowledge is shallow," Linghu Chong replied. "The matter on Heng-Shan today, I'd like to ask Great Master Fangzheng and Priest Chongxu to preside over this big operation. Junior will lead my school's disciples and follow the plan."
Chongxu laughed. "I don't deserve it. You're the master on Heng-Shan. How can Brother Abbott and I, as guests, snatch the host position?"
"This is not Junior modestly stepping back," Linghu Chong explained. "I honestly like the two of you to handle it."
"Headmaster Linghu is very modest," Fangzheng said. "Brother Priest, you don't need to decline it either. The three of us will lead this big operation, but we'll let Brother Priest to issue the order."
Chongxu said a few more modest words before finally agreeing. "We've hidden people on all the passages going up Mount Heng-Shan. When the Devil Sect comes to attack the mountain, we'll definitely hear of something. That day when Brother LInghu led people to attack Shaolin Temple, we followed Zuo Lengchan's plan and left an empty city..."
Linghu Chong's face turned slightly red. "Junior made a big disturbance. I'm still terrified by it."
Chongxu laughed. "I never thought enemy from the past would become today's friend. We can't use that empty city plan again as it will raise Ren Woxing's suspicion. From my humble view, the whole Heng-Shan School should defend on top of the mountain with dozens of people from Shaolin and Wudang Schools. You must understand that when Devil Sect attacks, and if they can't see anyone from Shaolin and Wudang Schools coming to help, then it would go against reason. This bastard Ren Woxing would be able to guess something is up."
"That's right," Fangzheng and Linghu Chong replied in unison.
"The rest of the schools like Kunlun, Emei, and Kongtong don't need to reveal themselves," Chongxu went on. "They will hide inside the mountain caves. When Devil Sect comes to attack, Heng-Shan, Shaolin, and Wudang Schools will fight back and the fight must look real. The people we send out must all be first class fighters and the more we kill the better while trying not to get harmed ourselves."
Fangzheng sighed. "The master-hands from Devil Sect are like the cloud and they must have been preparing for this. This coming fight will have a lot of deaths and injuries from both sides."
"We'll look for some cliffs and prepare ropes. When we see we're no longer their match, we'll use the ropes to go down to the valley and make it hard for the enemy to chase us," Chongxu said. "After Ren Woxing had gained his victory, then he'll see this precious chair. Of course he'll be complacent and sit on it. When the explosives is triggered, that old demon Ren will find it impossible to escape without wings. We'll follow this with exploding the thirty two landmines along the eight routes going up Mount Heng-Shan. The Devil Sect will find no way to go down the mountain then."
"Thirty two landmines?" Linghu Chong queried.
"That's right," Chongxu answered. "Martial nephew Chenggao will go early tomorrow morning and go to the important spots of the routes going up Mount Heng-Shan. At each route, he's going to pick the four most important spots and bury the landmines there. When the landmines go off, there'll be no route going up and down the mountain. There'll be around ten thousands people from the Devil Sect going up Mount Heng-Shan, and all ten thousands of them will die of starvation; If twenty thousands go up the mountain then twenty thousands will die of starvation. We've learned Zuo Lengchan's old plan, but this time we won't let them escape from a tunnel."
"That time we were really lucky to escape Shaolin Temple," Linghu Chong chimed in. Then as he thought about it, he uttered an 'oh'.
"Brother Linghu, now that you've learned of this plan, is there anything not right?" Chongxu asked.
"Junior thinks that when Chief Ren comes up Mount Heng-Shan and sees that precious chair, he'll definitely be happy but he'll be sure to suspect it," Linghu Chong replied. "Why would Heng-Shan School make this kind of chair and embroider the words 'Long Live the Chief, Unify the Jianghu'? If this matter isn't made clear, then I think he probably won't sit down on it."
"I've also thought of this point," Chongxu answered. "Actually, whether that demon head Ren sit or not on that chair isn't crucial. The other fuse we've hidden on that chair will blow it also. When he's being proud of himself, taking all the praises of long live the chief, unify the Jianghu, then this disaster will struck. Later on, this will only become a conversation topic in Wulin."
Linghu Chong nodded his head. "Yes."
"Martial Uncle," Priest Chenggao interrupted. "Disciple has an idea, I'm not sure if it's feasible?"
"Say it out," Chongxu said, smiling. "Ask Great Master Abbott and Headmaster Linghu for their advice."
"I heard Headmaster Linghu and Chief Ren's daughter had a marriage agreement, but because the orthodox and the demonical can't be on the same road, the marriage was hindered," Chenggao said. "If Headmaster Linghu sends two Heng-Shan disciples to meet Chief Ren and says that on account of young lady Ren, you seek an especially skillful craftsman to make the precious chair for Chief Ren to sit on, and that you're hoping the tw
o parties would have a truce to discuss peace. It doesn't matter if Chief Ren agrees or not, but once he comes up Mount Heng-Shan, he'll see this precious chair and won't suspect it anymore."
Chongxu clapped excitedly and said, "This plan is wonderful. One..."
"No!" Linghu Chong shook his head.
Chongxu was startled and knew he had been embarrassed, so he asked, "What's Brother Linghu's opinion?"
"Chief Ren wants to kill my Heng-Shan School, and I'll do my best to fight back and use wisdom to fight a strong enemy, everything can be done," Linghu Chong replied. "He's coming to kill us and we're going to explode him, but I'll never say false words to deceive him."
"Good!" Chongxu praised. "Brother Linghu is frank, very admirable. Whatever we do, whether that demon head Ren suspects it or not, he only has the intention of harming people to come up Mount Heng-Shan, so we're going to make him suffer."
After that, they discussed the details on how to defend, how to fight, how to cover up their ambush, how to retreat, and how to blow up the landmines. Each of these points was decided on. Chongxu was very meticulous and he was afraid they might have underestimated the enemy, so he dispatched another person to back up the person responsible for blowing up the landmines.
On dawn the next day, Linghu Chong guided them to look at the lay of the land. Qingxu and Chenggao selected the places to bury the landmines, prepared the fuses, and hid sentries to guard these places. Chongxu and Linghu Chong chose four rugged spots to make their retreats. Fangzheng, Chongxu, Linghu Chong, and Fangsheng would each guard one spot and they wouldn't let any enemy come near them. When the defenders were exhausted, they would be let down by ropes towards the valley down below. The last people to get to the valley below would use their swords to cut the ropes and not let the enemies to chase after them.
On the same day that afternoon, ten people from the Wudang School disguised themselves as farmers and wood gatherers. Under Qingxu's and Chenggao's directions, they planted the explosives. Heng-Shan School's disciples guarded each entrance to the mountain to prevent idler from going up the mountain, to protect against Sun Moon Sect from scouting the area and finding out all the secrets. After three busy days, everything was ready and they were now just waiting for Sun Moon Sect to come and attack. Counting the days, it had nearly been one month since they left Ren Woxing on the Peak of the Morning Sun. What that person said was certain to be fulfilled and there would be no error in his decided time. In these last few days, Chongxu, Chenggao and the other people had been busy, while Linghu Chong had been idle instead. Every day he silently went through the inner energy technique Fangzheng had imparted to him and practised it. Every time he met something he didn't understand, he'd consult with Fangzheng about it.